Wheel tilting mechanism for automobiles



P 1953 R. o. VARNUM 2,652,263

WHEEL TILTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 14, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Richard 0. Varnum uvmvroa b 5, 1953 R. o. VARNUM 2,652,263

WHEEL TILTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 14, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig'. 4

Fig. 6

Rib/lard 0. Var/rum INVENTOR.

Sept. 15, 1953 R. o. VARNUM WHEEL TILTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 14, 195:)

4 SheetS-Sheet 3 Richard 0. Vamum P 1953 R. o. VARNUM 2,652,263

WHEEL TILTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 14, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 10

Richard 0. Varnum mmvrozz.

Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WHEEL TILTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Richard 0. Varnum, Fort Klamath, Oreg. Application June 14, 1950, Serial No. 167,989

4 Claims. 1

My invention relates to improvements in wheel tilting mechanism for the steerable wheels of automobiles, and similar vehicles.

As is well known, the front steerable wheels of automobiles on the conventional independent, or knee action wheel suspensions tend, under the action of centrifugal force in rounding a curve, to tilt or lean vertically oppositely relative to the direction in which the automobile is turning. This leaning, or tiling, causes the tire to squeel, wear excessively and out of shape, and increases the tendency of the tires to skid, especially on slippery roads.

Having the foregoing in mind, the primary object of my invention is to provide simply constructed, inexpensive mechanism for adjusting such independent wheel mountings concurrently with steering to tilt the steerable wheels vertically in the direction in which the automobile is turning, and thereby obviate the above-mentioned disadvantages resulting from tilting, or leaning, of the wheels vertically in the opposite direction.

- A further object is to provide mechanism for the above purpose which will not prohibitivelyincrease the cost of manufacture of automobiles and is easy to service.

Other and subordinate objects, within the purview cf my invention, together with the precise nature of my improvements, and the advantages thereof, will become clear when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary view in perspective of my improved wheel tilting mechanism in the preferred embodiment thereof;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in plan;

Figure 3 is a view in bottom plan of the same;

Figure 4 is a View in rear elevation drawn to a smaller scale;

Figure 5 is a similar view illustrating the mechanism positioned for tilting the wheels while making a right turn;

Figure 6 is a similar view illustrating the mechanism positioned for tilting the wheels while making a left turn;

Figure 7 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 11 of Figure 4 and drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 4 and drawn to a larger scale;

Figure 9 is a similar of Figure 5;

Figure 10 is another similar view taken on the line Ill-I0 of Figure 6;

Figure 11 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line ll-ll of Figure 7; and

Figure 12 is a view in perspective of the coupling plate.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, wherein my invention has been illustrated as adapted for tilting the front steerable wheels I of an automobile through operation of conventional independent wheel suspensions, these wheel suspensions 2 being of the type comprising an upright arm 3 carrying the steering knuckle 4, a vertically swingable upper control arm 5 pivoted at its outer end, as at 6, to the upper end of said arm 3, and pivoted at its inner end, as at 7, to the hydraulic shock absorber 8 on. the associated end of the hollow drop center front axle 9 which is supported at its ends on coil springs l0 supported on spring seats II. The spring seats I l are suitably mounted to the lower forked control arms l2 pivoted, as at Hi, to the lower ends of the upright arms 3 for vertical swinging movement and extending inwardly in straddling relation to said axle bar 9. In this type of axle bar 9, a bottom closure plate 14 is suitably fixed to a lateral bottom edge flange l5 extending around said bar and forms with said flange parallel ledges It on the drop center of said bar at opposite sides thereof.

According to my invention, a rectangular coupling plate 20 is provided for the lower control arms I2 to extend under the drop center M of the front axle bar 9 and is supported on the ledges Hi by rollers 22 for movement along said ledges I6 and said front axle bar 9. The rollers 22 are mounted in a pair of opposite channeled side guides 23 on said plates 20 slidably fitting against the edges of the ledges l6 and bolted to said plate 20, as at 25, for assembly purposes.

view taken on the line 9-9 guides, respectively, in straddling relation to the pair and to said axle bar 9 and by means of horizontal studs 26 extending laterally from said guides 23 at the ends thereof. Anti-friction roller bearings 21 seated in corner sockets 28 in said plate 20 and interposed between said plate and the bottom closure plate M run against said closure plate.

The coupling plate 20 is adapted to be moved from left to right from a normal central position by operation of the steering post 29 of the automobile, and concurrently with steering from left to right, by means of the mechanism now to be described.

The usual crank arm 35 operated through the well known worm drive, not shown, by the steering post 29 of the automobile, has pivoted thereto, as at 32, the rear end of a forwardly extending pitman rod 33. The front end of said rod 53 extends through a clearance opening 54 in the rear side of the front axle bar 9 and is suitably pivotally connected, as at 35, to one arm 35 of a horizontal bellcrank lever 37 fixed, in said axle bar 9, by a pin 31 to a vertical rock "shaft 39 journaled at its upper end in a top bearing 40 in said axle bar 9 and also journaled through the before mentioned closure plate I l. The rock shaft 39 depends through said elosure Splate i l and through a longitudinal slot 4! in the coupling plate 25, permitting sliding of said coupling plate 20 relative to said shaft. The other arm 38 of the bellcrank lever '31 extends rearwardly out of the iront axle bar 9 through a suitable rear slot 43 therein and curves downwardly toward a coupling plate operating lever 45, presently described, said arm 38 terminating in a rear horizontal flat car 44.

The coupling plate operating lever 45 is fixed by a pin 46 to the lower end of the rock shaft 39 to extend rearwardly therefrom and terminates in a flat horizontal car 41 located beneath the ear M. A pair of drag links 48 are operatively connected at outer ends thereof by knuckle joints 55 to the usual steering knuckle arms 55 and with inner ends connected to the cars 44, ll by knuckle joint members 49 pivoted between said ears i4, 4'! by vertical pivots also connecting the bellcrank lever 31, and the coupling plate operating lever 45 together. As will now be seen, when the steering post 2 9 is turned in opposite directions, the pitman rod 33 will swing the bellcrank lever 31' in opposite directions to turn the steerable wheels I for right and left turning, and said lever 31 will swing the coupling plate operating lever 45 therewith. A stud bolt 53 depending from the coupling plate 25 through a longitudinal slot 54 in said lever 45 operatively connects the coupling plate operating lever 35 to the coupling plate 20 so that said plate is moved oppositely by swinging of said lever in opposite directions. A series of bolt holes 55 are provided in the coupling plate for selective turning of the stud bolt 53 therein to vary its position along said lever 45, whereby to vary the degree of movement of said coupling plate under swinging of said lever '45, and for a purpose presently described.

Referring now to the operation of'my invention, with the steerable wheels I straight for straight-ahead travel, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8, the coupling plate 20 is held by the bellcrank lever 31 and the coupling plate operating lever 45 in intermediate normal position on the ledges IE cnwhich said plate is cen tered between the spring suspensions 2 and whereby, through the lower controlarms l2, the upright arms 3 of said suspensions are held in normal 'untilted positions. When the steering post 29 is operated to turn said steerable wheels 1 for making a right turn, as shown in Figure 5, the coupling plate 20 is moved toward the left along the ledges 15. Such movement of said coupling plate 25 then moves the lower control arms [2 toward the left and to cause, in correspending degree, tilting of the upright arms 3 so that said wheels I are tilted from normal positions in the direction in which the turn is being made, as indicated by the broken lines a,a in Figure 5. When the steering post 29 is operated to turn said wheels 1 for a left turn, as shown in Figure 6, the mechanism operates oppositely than as described in the foregoing to cause said wheels l to be tilted vertically in the direction of the left turn, as indicated by the broken lines 5-5 in Figure 6. By selectively turning the stud bolt 53 in the bolt holes 55, the degree of tilting of said wheels I may be varied by varying the length of the lever arm operating against the coupling plate it upon operation of the coupling plate operating lever 45.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification, without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination with an axle, independent wheel suspensions on said axle carrying steer able wheels and including upright members tilt able to tilt said wheels, control arms for said members, and steering mechanism for said wheels including a steering post operative in opposite directions, or means for tilting said upright members to tilt said wheels in the direction of steering including a slidable member mounted on and movable along said axle and connected to said control arms for operating the same to tilt said members, and direct operating linkage connections between said steering post and slidable member for moving said 'slid'able member in opposite directions by operation of said steering post in opposite directions respec' tively.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said slidable member comprises a plate to which said control arms are pivotally comnected.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said operating connections include a rock shaft on said axle, and a lever fast on said rock shaft, and an adjustable connection between said lever and slidable member for varying the leverage exerted against said slidable member.

l. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said operating connections comprise a rock shaft on said axle, a lever fast on said rock shaft and operatively connected to said slidable member, a second lever fast 'on said rock shaft, and a pitman rod connected to said second lever and operated by said steering post.

RICHARD O. VAR'NUM,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

